Tom Morello Reflects On 30th Anniversary Of Rage Against The Machine’s Controversial ‘Saturday Night Live’ Exit

Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello has marked the 30th anniversary of the band’s infamous and short-lived appearance on Saturday Night Live, revisiting the chaos that surrounded their only performance on the long-running sketch comedy series.

The April 13th anniversary commemorates the band’s 1996 appearance, which occurred just days before the release of their sophomore album ‘Evil Empire’. While anticipation was high at the time, the performance quickly became one of the most talked-about moments in the show’s history for reasons far beyond the music.

Rage Against The Machine’s onstage use of inverted American flags reportedly led to immediate tension with production staff, culminating in the group’s second song being cut from the broadcast entirely. Only “Bulls On Parade” ultimately aired.

Morello also recalled how the situation escalated behind the scenes, describing a series of confrontations involving crew members and guests backstage, which ultimately resulted in the band being escorted out of the studio.

“There was a fight onstage between our crew and SNL stage hands moments before our performance, wrestling over some upside down American flags which adorned our amps.”

He went on to reference additional chaos unfolding backstage, including an incident involving bassist Tim Commerford and members of guest Steve Forbes’ family.

“Timmy C then attacked host/billionaire/presidential candidate Steve Forbes’ family in the dressing room with a wadded up flag. Secret Service flooded the hallways.”

Despite the controversy, Morello noted the moment’s lasting impact and the success that followed shortly after the release of Evil Empire, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Released on April 16th, 1996, Evil Empire went on to achieve platinum certification within months, eventually reaching multi-platinum status as the band’s profile continued to grow.

Three decades later, the performance remains one of the most notorious and politically charged moments in Saturday Night Live history — and a defining snapshot of Rage Against The Machine’s uncompromising identity.

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